HomeMy WebLinkAbout20260125 60 Catherine St. Area Variance NODPage 1 of 2
CITY OF SARATOGA
SPRINGS
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
CITY HALL - 474 BROADWAY
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK 12866
518-587-3550
WWW.SARATOGA-SPRINGS.ORG
Gage Simpson, Chair
Brendan Dailey, Vice Chair
Amanda Demma
Jonah Cohen
Otis Maxwell
Chris LaPointe
Steve Harrigan
Lynn Blasso (Alternate)
#20260125
IN THE MATTER OF THE APPEAL OF
Donald and Debra Brovich
60 Catherine Street
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
from the determination of the Building Inspector involving the premises at 60 Catherine Street in the City of Saratoga
Springs, New York being tax parcel number 165.36-2-41, in the Urban Residential 2 (UR-2) District on the Assessment Map
of said City.
This being an application for an area variance under the UDO of said City to permit the construction of an attached carport
and addition to an existing single-family residence, and public notice having been duly given of a hearing on said application
held from April 20, 2026 to June 22, 2026.
In consideration of the balance between benefit to the applicants with detriment to the health, safety, and welfare of the
community, I move that the following area variance for the following amount of relief:
TYPE OF REQUIREMENT DISTRICT DIMENSIONAL
REQUIREMENT
PROPOSED RELIEF REQUESTED
MAXIMUM COMBINED COVERAGE % 40% 47% 7% OR 17.5% RELIEF
INTERIOR SIDE SETBACK – TO CARPORT 8’ 3’ 5’ OR 62.5% RELIEF
TOTAL SIDE SETBACK 20’ 3.4’ 16.6’ OR 83% RELIEF
As per the submitted plans or lesser dimensions, be approved for the following reasons:
1. Achievability by Other Means: The applicant has demonstrated this benefit cannot be achieved by other
means feasible to the applicant. The applicant would like to construct an attached carport and addition to
their existing single-family home to enable them to keep their cars in a covered area. Alternative design
options were considered, including a fully enclosed garage, but this was determined to present an undesirable
change in neighborhood character. The submitted plans were determined to be the solution that best met the
applicants’ needs while limiting variances to the greatest possible extent. No adjacent land is available for
purchase.
2. Undesirable Change: The applicants have demonstrated that granting this variance will not create an
undesirable change in neighborhood character or detriment to nearby properties. The Board notes that after
feedback from the Board, the applicants altered their submitted plans to turn the addition into a carport
rather than a fully enclosed garage – reducing the visual impact of the addition on the surrounding
neighborhood. The applicants also provided numerous examples of comparable nearby properties with
garage additions that make similar encroachments into the side setbacks – none of which pose a significant
detriment to nearby properties or neighborhood character.
3. Substantiality: The requested variances are substantial, but this is mitigated by the factors described above.
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This is a pre-existing non-conforming lot, which mitigates the relief to exceed the maximum combined
building coverage.
4. Adverse Effects: This variance will not have a significant adverse physical or environmental effect on the
neighborhood or district. Permeability will meet the district requirement.
5. Self-Created Difficulty: The alleged difficulty is self-created insofar as it is motivated by the applicants’ desire
to construct a new carport and addition to their existing single-family residence, but this is not necessarily
fatal to the application.
Condition: The variance is granted for a carport as defined in the UDO and not a garage. Any modification to the structure
that would enclose the carport requires further ZBA review and relief.
Dated: June 22, 2026
Passes by the following vote:
AYES: 6 (G. Simpson, B. Dailey, C. LaPointe, O. Maxwell, A. Demma, S. Harrigan)
NAYS: 0
This variance shall expire 18 months following the filing date of such decision unless the necessary building permit
has been issued and actual construction begun as per the Unified Development Ordinance.
I hereby certify the above to be a full, true and correct copy of a resolution duly adopted by the Zoning Board of
Appeals of the City of Saratoga Springs on the date above mentioned, six members of the Board being present.
SIGNATURE:
CHAIR